Can investigators have knowledge of the quantity and type (obviously they can not see the faces) of cards seeded throughout the mansion? In other words are they supposed to watch the keeper setup and make mental notes regarding which room has certain types of cards and certain quantities of cards?

If yes, then...

Can they check throughout the game as well, to remind and direct the team to target certain rooms?

They *can*, but the setup is made such that the same number and types of cards will be present in each room for a given scenario, regardless of what the Keeper chooses for the setup options. So this will not give them any knowledge as to where the next clue is beyond "probably one of the big piles with a lock on it, yeah?"

The very fact that pile heights will tell players looking for it where higher piles and thus more potential items are, probably was the reason for all those "nothing of interest" cards. They are seeded in all the spots that would be important for the alternate choice picks that the keeper did not take. Often, two alternative choices are in opposite ends of the mansion, too.

This also almost certainly was the reason for the POD expansions having tons of duplicates of all the cards that would be in the base set already. The POD expansions have ever so slightly different card sides, so players could ruin the game by looking at those too closely (intentionally or not) and then deciding that they'd go where the expansion cards are.

So in short, yes, they can watch, because FFG made sure that they don't get an advantage out of it. Because the setup will take longer if the keeper has to make sure that they don't see where the "nothing of interest" cards are, but nothing else changes, it's probably reasonable that they don't. And players who go for the highest piles are just as probable to find a big pile of nothing as they are to find something of interest, and often important items are in low-height piles.

If this post is seeping with disgust for players who try to break thematic games and schadenfreude because that won't work in this one, it's because that's how I feel.

Thanks everyone, clearly the answer is yes they can look, but, I must say I am confused at the many responses saying that the rooms hve the same number of cards. I have setup House of Lynch 1A and there are clearly differences. Some rooms have 1, some 2, and others have 3 cards per room.

Thanks everyone, clearly the answer is yes they can look, but, I must say I am confused at the many responses saying that the rooms hve the same number of cards. I have setup House of Lynch 1A and there are clearly differences. Some rooms have 1, some 2, and others have 3 cards per room.

Sorry, no, not all the rooms have an equal number of cards. But whether you play (1A, 2A, 3A) or (1C, 2B, 3B), the stacks that have three cards in one combination of keeper choices will also have three cards in the other one. The difference will be that for one of them, an important clue and a central item will be within those three cards, while for the other one, there will be two "nothing of interest" and one random item. So pile height does not allow to detrmine whether a pile is important or not.

Edit: At least in theory, it seems I wasn't aware of the House of Lynch breaking that rule...